Hive management in beekeeping refers to intervention techniques that a beekeeper may perform to ensure hive survival and to maximize hive production. Hive management techniques vary widely depending on the objectives.
For honey production
The dependent factors for honey production are the duration and timing of the honey flow in a certain area. Duration and timing of a honey flow may vary widely depending on local predominant climates, weather during the honey flow and the nectar sources in the area. Good honey production sites are the far northern latitudes. In the summer, as days grow longer, bees can fly and forage for longer hours increasing the production. Migrating beekeepers also take advantage of local bloom of agricultural plants or wild flowers and trees. In mountainous regions a beekeeper may migrate up the mountain as the spring and summer bloom progresses.
It has been shown that a larger bee colony will produce relatively more honey. Therefore, the early buildup and spring feeding and subsequent prevention of swarming are of high priority. Several different methods such as the Demaree method, Checkerboarding and opening up the brood nest have been advocated to prevent swarming.
Techniques to maximize extracted honey production
Once a good location for an apiary is selected, techniques under the control of a beekeeper for maximizing extracted honey production depend mostly on maximizing the number of foraging bees at the peak time of the honey flow. Techniques may include interrupting brood production right before the main honey flow to free up nurse bees for foraging. A main objective is to prevent swarming.
Techniques to maximize comb honey production
Comb honey production requires many of the same techniques that are required for the production of extracted honey. In addition, the colony must be very strong and have comb building traits. Honeycomb for direct consumption as comb honey is always created the same year it is harvested.
Honey combs may also be harvested by crushing the comb and squeezing out the honey. This is the lowest cost method of producing honey. Keepers of the low-cost top-bar hives use this technique to harvest honey. The technique may also be used for the frames of Langstroth hives. The so-called cut comb are sections of sealed honey comb that are cut out of the frame. If the cut comb is to be consumed not crushed only the purest beeswax foundation may be used.
Techniques for maximizing Ross rounds and cassette production
Killion Method
Juniper Hill Method
Crowding
Shock Shook Method
For pollination
see pollination management
Techniques for maximizing agricultural crops pollination
Pollinator decline
Pesticide toxicity to bees
Buzz pollination
For queen breeding
Techniques to maximize open mating
Techniques to maximize open mating of virgin queens center around having drones of a desired parentage saturate a queen mating yard.
Techniques to maximize artificial insemination
Artificial insemination of honeybee queens is a process used for very selective breeding of honeybee races. In the open mating of queens the source of drones cannot be fully controlled. In artificial insemination the source of drone sperm can be fully controlled and be more predictably selected than in open breeding.
For pollen production
Bee pollen is one of the byproducts of the hive. Pollen collection is usually not the main management objective. Pollen is collected by installing a pollen trap at the entrance of the bee hive. There are varying designs for pollen traps. The pollen trap makes access to the hive harder for the foraging bees. In the process of climbing through the pollen trap wires some pollen is loosened from the bee's pollen basket and falls into a collection container. Varying recommendations describe leaving the pollen trap on for a few days or for more extended periods. Pollen collection works best in an area with various pollen sources throughout the year. Fresh pollen can be frozen or dried. It is used for human consumption or fed back to the colony in early spring to speed up brood production.